In the hydrocarbon production industry, a source rock refers to a rock that is capable of generating or that has generated movable quantities of hydrocarbons. The potential of the source rock refers to the amount of hydrocarbons that may be produced by the source rock. An area may be identified as a reservoir if the area has source rocks that contain organic matter in sufficient quantity to generate and expel hydrocarbons. Measuring source rock potential before and during the exploration and production processes of a reservoir can help to determine the productivity of the reservoir, plan drilling and extraction operations, and maintain the life cycle of the reservoir.